Methane plant to generate power for Miramar Marines

A new power plant at the Miramar Landfill will use methane gas to generate almost half of the adjacent air station’s energy needs, Marine officials said.

The military, the city of San Diego, and Fortistar Methane Group are slated to break ground Tuesday on the joint project, which is expected to provide enough renewable energy to power about 2,461 homes at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station.

The power plant will help Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southwest exceed the Navy Secretary’s energy goals for the Marine installation several years early, Marine officials predicted.

It also could help public and private overseers of the Miramar Landfill meet air quality requirements and generate additional revenue.

New York-based Fortistar installed much of the existing methane collection system at Miramar Landfill at company cost. The private contractor sells power to San Diego Gas & Electric, providing low-cost electricity and royalties to the city.

Union-Tribune environmental writer Mike Lee reported in December that San Diego and Fortistar had committed more than two dozen environmental violations in the previous two years related to methane from the landfill. The facility was fined most recently in February, but the landfill has since fallen off the list of those in California failing to meet minimum environmental standards.

Fortistar officials have defended the company’s environmental record as “excellent” and said problems identified by the San Diego County Air Pollution Control District are quickly addressed.

Methane, produced by decaying waste, is a flammable and explosive greenhouse gas 23 times more potent than carbon dioxide.

The city-owned landfill was expected to be full by 2012, but recycling programs and higher height allowances pushed that date to at least 2022.